{"id":654405,"date":"2026-10-14T11:04:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T11:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/654405\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T11:04:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T11:04:20","slug":"living-pay-cheque-to-pay-cheque-public-sector-workers-on-strike-across-the-country-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/654405\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Living pay cheque to pay cheque\u2019: public sector workers on strike across the country \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Main points Employees are seeking a new public sector deal, with trade unions arguing that pay terms must be agreed \u2060before other issues are addressedHundreds of striking health workers are out at University Hospital Galway<\/a> and the Mater hospital<\/a>Most colleges, schools and universities are closed Thousands of medical appointments have been cancelled but emergency departments remain open as do GPs and pharmacistsCourt services have been curtailed, Leinster House is closed and many local authority services are all set to be disrupted \u2018Onus\u2019 is on unions to take next step to ensure \u2018deal is done\u2019<\/a>, says Minister for Higher Education James LawlessAnother work stoppage is planned for Wednesday 21stKey Reads Q&A<\/a>: What services will be affected by the public sector strike and what will be closed?John McManus<\/a>: Why we must have this performative strike by public sector workersPodcast:<\/a> What is the strike about and why it hasn\u2019t been averted? <\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 7 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Richard Boyd Barrett joins F\u00f3rsa picket line in D\u00fan Laoghaire\"PeoplePeople Before Profit-Solidarity TD Richard Boyd Barrett joins the F\u00f3rsa picket outside the Irish Lights building in D\u00fan Laoghaire. Photograph: Emmett Malone <\/p>\n

At the F\u00f3rsa picket outside the Irish Lights building at D\u00fan Laoghaire harbour, civil engineering technician Colin Ball sounds slightly exasperated that the public service pay dispute has come to him and his colleagues picketing from early morning, reports Work Correspondent Emmet Malone.<\/p>\n

Workers from admin, procurement, facilities management and diverse array of other roles stand close by and nod in agreement as he suggests \u201cthey [the Government] have had a long time to sort this\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve have months but they haven\u2019t really done anything so we\u2019re just standing here, supporting each other, trying to get a better deal,\u201d he says as drivers of buses and cars beep their horns in support of the strikers while passing by.<\/p>\n

Asked about the suggestion by James Lawless earlier on Wednesday morning that public servants tend to be better paid than their private sector counterparts, Ball seems surprised.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s fair to be honest. But the issue is that the agreement expired in June, and they\u2019ve had plenty of time to sort a new one out. The rate of inflation\u2019s gone up so much but our pay hasn\u2019t gone up. That\u2019s why we are here.\u201d<\/p>\n

People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Richard Boyd Barrett joined the F\u00f3rsa picket outside the Irish Lights building in D\u00fan Laoghaire.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 12 minutes ago<\/p>\n

\u2018The work isn\u2019t the problem, it\u2019s the pay, we want fair pay\u2019\"MartinaMartina Burke (in the middle holding flag) a healthcare assistant in the Emergency Department of University Hospital Galway, with Siptu colleagues on the picket at UHG. Photograph: Dara Bradley <\/p>\n

Martina Burke, a healthcare assistant at one of the country\u2019s busiest emergency departments at University Hospital Galway, has a 40-kilometre commute to work in Galway City from her home in Kilmaine, Co Mayo, reports Dara Bradley. <\/p>\n

A mother of adult children, like hundreds of workers on the picket line at UHG, she\u2019s feeling the pinch of higher fuel prices and the cost-of-living crisis. <\/p>\n

\u201cI work three long days. I\u2019m up in the morning at half five; not home \u2018til quarter past nine. It\u2019s a long day. It\u2019s busy in the ED. It\u2019s hard work. But the work isn\u2019t the problem, it\u2019s the pay. We want fair pay,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

A rep with trade union Siptu for 20 years, this is Burke\u2019s second strike and she feels the public is backing the industrial action. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who filter through the hospital see the hard work we do. The public are very supportive of us,\u201d says Burke, who adds that workers agreed cover in the wards and ED to \u201cmake it safe\u201d for patients during the strike. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur message to the Government is sit down, talk and listen to the unions. We don\u2019t want to be here today, no one does. We had a 95 per cent vote to strike, which was overwhelming \u2013 it means everyone wants the same thing. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf they don\u2019t sit down with us, we will 100 per cent be back here again next week,\u201d says Burke.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 16 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Irish Dental Association strike for first time since 1922\"PublicPublic dentists picketing outside the Roselawn health centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Photograph: Shauna Bowers <\/p>\n

Fintan Hourihan, chief executive of the Irish Dental Association (IDA), said the protest was about more than just pay but also about supporting the service to meet the needs of its special care patients as a group of public dentists picket outside the Roselawn health centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin. <\/p>\n

Wednesday marked the first ever strike action by members of the IDA since it was founded in 1922, reports Health Correspondent Shauna Bowers. <\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 21 minutes ago<\/p>\n

\u2018Whatever you\u2019re earning doesn\u2019t feel like enough these days\u2019\"ConorConor Carroll is a porter at St Michael\u2019s Hospital in D\u00fan Laoghaire and says Wednesday\u2019s strike is all about wages and the increased cost of getting by. Photograph: Emmet Malone <\/p>\n

Conor Carroll, a porter at St Michael\u2019s Hospital in D\u00fan Laoghaire, says Wednesday\u2019s strike is all about wages and the increased cost of getting by, reports Work Correspondent Emmet Malone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just out looking for fair play,\u201d he says, as he pickets alongside colleagues from F\u00f3rsa, the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation at the hospital gates on the town\u2019s main street this morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just about the cost of living. Every time you go to the supermarket you feel it,\u201d he says, gesturing towards the Tesco shopping centre across the road. <\/p>\n

\u201cEverything\u2019s gone up, even the cost of eating, and whatever you\u2019re earning doesn\u2019t feel like enough these days.<\/p>\n

The hospital, he says, is a good place work, a community operation where \u201ceveryone gets on\u201d. And it has good to him since he switched from bar work eight years ago to be around more for his then young children. <\/p>\n

\u201cManagement are good, they are always helpful with rosters when you need it,\u201d he says, explaining that he commutes from Lucan and tries to work shifts that allow him do a school run.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no complaints, really, except that my pay hasn\u2019t gone up,\u201d he says, \u201cand everything else has.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 24 minutes ago<\/p>\n

\u2018Everyone is feeling\u2019 the impact of inflation\"JasonJason Dee, a visitor service officer at Dublin Castle, described the strike as “very necessary”. Photograph: \u00d3rla Ryan <\/p>\n

Jason Dee, a visitor service officer at Dublin Castle, described the strike as \u201cvery necessary,\u201d reports \u00d3rla Ryan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere should be a natural transition from when a pay deal expires into the next deal,\u201d he said, referring to the fact the Public Service Agreement 2024\u20132026 expired in June and a new deal has not yet been reached.<\/p>\n

Dee said \u201ceveryone is feeling\u201d the impact of inflation, especially lower paid workers.<\/p>\n

He said the strike is \u201can inconvenience to people and to tourists and to everybody, so I think it\u2019s in everyone\u2019s interest that it\u2019s resolved\u201d.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 57 minutes ago<\/p>\n

Strikers in D\u00fan Laoghaire hope second day of action will not be necessary\"\"<\/p>\n

At D\u00fan Laoghaire\u2019s Intreo Office on Cumberland Street, staff who are used to dealing with other people\u2019s employment issues were outside having to explain to the occasional service user that they are having some of their own, reports Emmet Malone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a few people along this morning, and when they\u2019ve seen us and they\u2019ve asked a couple of questions about why we are striking,\u201d said Lyndsay McGlynn, the centres manager, as she stands with a handful of her co-workers. \u201cBut we\u2019ve had no negative feedback. It\u2019s been very understanding and supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said she wants to see talks between the unions and hopes the industrial action can be sorted out before the second scheduled one-day stoppage next Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Asked if it should have been sorted out before today, with Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers having effectively said last night pay could be dealt with up front, she says the comments came too late.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that came out the day before the strike, the night before it, I think it should have happened a lot earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do hope that in the next little while it will get resolved. Hopefully, we don\u2019t have to do another strike date next Wednesday. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut people are very united, all of us here and across all the grades, you saw over 90 per cent voting for the strike everywhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cMissing two days\u2019 wages would be a big commitment for all of us but we are doing it because the wages need to be increased, particularly for those on the lower pay. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very united and I do think if it continues people will be determined enough to see it through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Workers \u2018haven\u2019t had a decent pay rise in forever\u2019\"LisaLisa Walsh McAuley, a visitor and security officer at the National Museum, said workers \u201chaven\u2019t had a decent pay rise in forever\u201d. Photograph: \u00d3rla Ryan <\/p>\n

Lisa Walsh McAuley, a visitor and security officer at the National Museum, said workers \u201chaven\u2019t had a decent pay rise in forever\u201d, reports \u00d3rla Ryan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see anything in my pay packet. I really don\u2019t because they give with one hand and they take with the other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walsh McAuley said she deals with thousands of people every week in her role and, like many workers in the public sector, has been \u201cdouble jobbing\u201d \u2013 ie, doing extra work that does not fall under her role.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems as if this Government wants to push us as far as we can possibly go. We have role creep in our jobs. Some of us are double jobbing, and that\u2019s taking a toll.\u201d<\/p>\n

She called on Jack Chambers and other members of the Government to help workers who have been badly impacted by the cost of living. <\/p>\n

\u201cJack seems to be the kind of person \u2013 and I can understand where he\u2019s coming from because of his position \u2013 that he has to guard the money. But we have a pot there already. How big does he want this pot to be? It has to be spent somewhere … Either start giving something back or just watch out for the next election because I ain\u2019t happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walsh McAuley said she hopes the issue is resolved soon, but \u201cwe\u2019ll be here next week, if needs be\u201d.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Government \u2018should have engaged with workers earlier\u2019\"BrianBrian Rice, digitisation programme manager at the National Library, said comments by Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers came too little, too late. Photograph: \u00d3rla Ryan <\/p>\n

Workers from some of Dublin\u2019s best-known cultural institutions and tourist attractions have called on the Government to engage with trade unions to avoid further strike action, reports \u00d3rla Ryan.<\/p>\n

Brian Rice, digitisation programme manager at the National Library, said comments by Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers \u2013 who on Tuesday night told RT\u00c9\u2019s Prime Time that pay can \u201cabsolutely\u201d be the starting point for negotiations \u2013 came too little, too late.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government had the opportunity to engage earlier; they didn\u2019t take it, and now we\u2019re out because of that,\u201d Rice said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey should have engaged with workers earlier on this, and I think it\u2019s time to sit down now and it\u2019s time to listen to what workers have to say rather than just arrive at a fait accompli, and to come to some agreement that both parties are happy with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rice said workers are struggling with the cost of inflation and \u201cpay really needs to catch up with where prices have gone\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s lots of levels of pay in the Library, and I think we\u2019d like to see the lower paid helped more, so they\u2019re proportionally lifted up higher because it is much tougher for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Murphy expects to be back on picket line next Wednesday<\/p>\n

Fine Gael TD Barry Ward has warned: \u201cIf people are not sitting down around the table, this won\u2019t be resolved,\u201d reports Vivienne Clarke.<\/p>\n

There had been \u201ca concerted attempt\u201d by Government in recent weeks to get people around the table to talk about it, he told RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s Today with David McCullagh show. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat hasn\u2019t happened because of preconditions that have been laid down. And I don\u2019t really think you can approach a negotiation by saying to people, well, we\u2019ve got to agree this before we even talk.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people are not sitting down around the table, this won\u2019t be resolved. And whatever about honest brokers or whether somebody mediates the discussion or somebody else is brought in to do that, that doesn\u2019t matter. If people are not willing to sit around the table, it won\u2019t be resolved. And what\u2019s really important for ordinary people all over this country is that it is resolved and they get their services back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy told the same programme that he expected to be back on the picket line again next Wednesday. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re hearing so far from the Government is not a commitment to seriously engage on pay. And therefore the workers are left with no choice. And when you talk to workers, they\u2019re clear. Look, I don\u2019t want to be on a picket line, but they voted overwhelmingly to take strike action. They\u2019re doing so because they\u2019re in a desperate situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause they see their income being eroded year after year. Where from 2021 to now, the total increases they\u2019ve had in pay is just under 16 per cent. And the inflation rate over that period is about 22 per cent.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo they\u2019re struggling. And I would say, the beeps from people coming by all the picket lines I\u2019ve been on this morning are incredible. The level of public support for this strike should make the government think again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Bags of rubbish left outside the closed Grangegorman recycling centre in Dublin 7 as workers at the centre are on strike.<\/p>\n

\"BagsBags of rubbish left outside the closed Grangegorman recycling centre in Dublin 7 as workers at the centre are on strike. Photograph: Olivia Kelly <\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Hundreds of striking health workers at University Hospital Galway\"FórsaF\u00f3rsa members John Fitzgerald and psychotherapist Evelyn Newell holding her dog Alfie among hundreds of striking health workers at University Hospital Galway. Photograph: Dara Bradley <\/p>\n

F\u00f3rsa members John Fitzgerald and psychotherapist Evelyn Newell holding her dog Alfie were among the hundreds of striking health workers on the picket lines at University Hospital Galway this morning, reports Dara Bradley.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Crowds gather outside the Mater hospital in protest over pay\"Doctors,Doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists, physiotherapists and other healthcare staff gather outside the Mater hospital in Dublin in protest over pay. Photograph: Shauna Bowers <\/p>\n

Doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists, physiotherapists and other healthcare staff have gathered outside the Mater hospital in Dublin in protest over pay, reports Health Correspondent Shauna Bowers.<\/p>\n

The large crowd of healthcare workers is greeted by horns of support by passing cars, trucks and bin lorries as they call for a better pay deal. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do we want? Fair pay. When do we want it? Now,\u201d the protesters chanted. <\/p>\n

The gathering comes ahead of the four officers of the public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions uniting outside the healthcare facility to outline their demands to Government. <\/p>\n

Kevin Callinan from F\u00f3rsa, Phil N\u00ed Sheaghdha from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), Adrian Kane from Siptu and John Boyle from the Irish National Teachers\u2019 Organisation (INTO) are in attendance.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 1 hour ago<\/p>\n

Small F\u00f3rsa picket set up in Brussels\"FórsaF\u00f3rsa staff picket outside the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU in Brussels. Photograph: Jack Power <\/p>\n

Strike action is taking place abroad as well, writes Europe Correspondent Jack Power<\/p>\n

A small F\u00f3rsa picket is set up outside the Republic\u2019s largest diplomatic mission overseas, the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU. <\/p>\n

About 300 diplomats, civil servants and officials are working in the Brussels office, which has greatly expanded to shoulder the extra workload during Ireland\u2019s six month EU presidency.<\/p>\n

Civil servants and temporary staff working in Brussels were unsure to what extent they were covered by the industrial strike action, with conflicting advice and guidance coming from Dublin. <\/p>\n

The picket nearly didn\u2019t happen, but for a different reason.<\/p>\n

The local council, or commune, of the Belgian capital that hosts the EU\u2019s institutions and embassies, requires 10 days\u2019 notice for a protest or public demonstration. <\/p>\n

F\u00f3rsa got in the paperwork a week ago and the local Belgian administration isn\u2019t known for its flexibility, but they showed a bit of leeway on this occasion.<\/p>\n

Two passersby shouted encouragement for the strike as they walked by, and they didn\u2019t even sound French. <\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

Primary teacher on picket line \u2018living pay cheque to pay cheque\u2019\"StephanieStephanie Goggins, a primary school teacher at Pelletstown Educate Together primary school in Ashtown, Dublin 15 on the picket line. Photograph: Niamh Towey <\/p>\n

Stephanie Goggins, a primary school teacher at Pelletstown Educate Together primary school in Ashtown, Dublin 15 said, she is \u201cliving pay cheque to pay cheque\u201d, reports Education Correspondent Niamh Towey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m earning the most money I\u2019ve ever earned in my career, and I\u2019m still struggling,\u201d Goggins says.<\/p>\n

Goggins, who was among dozens of protesters in Ashtown this morning, says there is \u201ca strong feeling among the staff that we want to fight for this and we deserve a fair wage\u201d.<\/p>\n

She feels teachers need a pay increase that is \u201cin line with the cost of living, that we can live comfortably on. You know, many of us are well-educated people. We\u2019re dedicated to our work, and we deserve a wage that reflects that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 2 hours ago<\/p>\n

F\u00f3rsa calls for appointment of independent mediator<\/p>\n

Kevin Callinan, the general secretary of F\u00f3rsa and chair of Ictu\u2019s Public Services Committee, has called for the appointment of an independent mediator in the public sector pay dispute, reports Vivienne Clarke.<\/p>\n

The Taoiseach needs to take the initiative to try to break the impasse and the appointment of an independent mediator would be a way to do that, he told RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s Morning Ireland.<\/p>\n

It was \u201cdisrespectful\u201d to suggest that more than 300,000 people had gone on strike \u201cas a first resort rather than as a last resort\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody wants to be on strike, there is a way that we can resolve this but we need a shift in the Government position. I\u2019ve made clear this morning, I think that there is a way in which that can be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the Taoiseach needs to take an initiative to try and break the impasse and I\u2019ve suggested how that might be done. If there was an honest broker perhaps assisted by a representative from the employer side and a representative from the union side, it has worked before and I think it\u2019s worth trying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

Siptu calls for \u2018senior political intervention\u2019<\/p>\n

Adrian Kane, Siptu deputy general secretary, has called for \u201csenior political intervention\u201d in the public sector strike, reports Vivienne Clarke.<\/p>\n

There had been \u201ca rupture in the social contract\u201d between the Government and public sector workers, he told Newstalk Breakfast with Anton Savage.<\/p>\n

It would be helpful if the Taoiseach intervened, he responded when asked if Miche\u00e1l Martin should get involved.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

\u2018Onus\u2019 on unions to take next step to ensure \u2018deal is done\u2019\"OireachtasOireachtas staff staging a strike outside Leinster House in Dublin. Photograph: Cate McCurry\/the Press Association <\/p>\n

The onus was now on the unions to take the next step to ensure \u201ca deal is done\u201d, said the Minister for Higher Education James Lawless, reports Vivienne Clarke. <\/p>\n

The Taoiseach had invited the unions to discuss social partnership, but the unions had \u201ceffectively said no thanks, or not right now\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s regrettable, because I think if we did get around the table more often, we\u2019d be in a better place to make progress on these kind of issues,\u201d he told RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s Morning Ireland. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd again, my heart goes out to the workers on the ballot today, the parents who had to take children out of school, the hospital appointments being cancelled, the driving test and all the disruption.<\/p>\n

\u201cI respect the process, absolutely, but let\u2019s try and not have this again next week and on into the future. The Taoiseach was open to discussion, he had made that position very clear. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe said pay is always the central issue. He said let\u2019s get on with it. He\u2019s open for discussion.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo deal was ever done by one side staying outside the room. I think the onus really is on the union now to take the next step.\u201d <\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

Mixed views on public sector unions strike<\/p>\n

In letters to the editor, Irish Times readers had mixed opinions on Wednesday\u2019s strike by public sector unions:<\/p>\n

Sir, \u2013 The public servants taking industrial action are not available for work and consequently have to forego a day\u2019s pay. However, many TDs, who have a salary of just under \u20ac120,000, have indicated over the past week that they would not pass the picket at Leinster House and therefore make themselves unavailable for work, writes David Gordan.<\/p>\n

Sir, \u2013 I believe the public sector unions are making a major strategic error in their approach to the negotiations with Government on the new pay deal, writes Paul Kilcullen.<\/p>\n

In an employment environment increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence (AI), the tactics adopted against Government and the public are ill-advised. The next agreement will be dominated by AI productivity and job losses. The public sector, particularly the Civil Service, is full of opportunities for its use.<\/p>\n

Read the full letters here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

F\u00f3rsa seeks appointment of \u2018honest broker\u2019<\/p>\n

F\u00f3rsa general secretary, Kevin Callinan, said Jack Chambers\u2019s comments on the potential to discuss pay at the start of any negotiations is \u201cpromising\u201d but is not in itself enough to call off next Wednesday\u2019s second one-day strike, reports Work Correspondent Emmet Malone. <\/p>\n

He told Morning Ireland he would like to see the Taoiseach seek to appoint \u201can honest broker\u201d with experience of industrial relations to bring the two sides together.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s worked before and I think it would be worth trying,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Callinan reiterated that one of the issues is the \u201cbreakdown in trust\u201d relating to problems over the payment of \u201clocal bargaining\u201d aspects of the last pay deal and the Government\u2019s failure to honour a commitment to repeal Financial Emergency Measures in Public Interests (Fempi) legislation. The legislation was introduced after the financial crash to prevent local deals being done in the public service and to tighten the Government\u2019s control of its finances.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n

Siptu: largest mobilisation of members in a generation<\/p>\n

Trade union Siptu said Wednesday\u2019s strike action was its largest mobilisation of its members in a generation. <\/p>\n

\u201cMore than 60,000 Siptu members will take part in the strike, manning up to 2,000 picket lines across the country alongside tens of thousands of other trade union colleagues in the public sector,\u201d it said in a statement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Picketing by Siptu members began at midnight at local authority facilities. <\/p>\n

Emergency cover will operate under agreed local arrangements to protect life and public safety.<\/p>\n

Siptu deputy general secretary, Adrian Kane, said: \u201cThis mobilisation demonstrates the determination of our members to secure a better deal for workers struggling under a worsening cost-of-living crisis and a Government which is dismissive of their concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u20ac1.2 billion announced in the budget for public sector pay claims is an offer of a pay increase of approximately 2.5 per cent in 2027 once pension costs and previous commitments are included. <\/p>\n

\u201cWith annual inflation currently running at 4.1 per cent this provides no credible starting point for talks aimed at protecting living standards,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n

Strike action with weather warnings in place<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re curious about today\u2019s weather, Met.ie<\/a> might not be the most up-to-date place for information. <\/p>\n

\u201cDue to industrial action, there will be disruptions to updates on met.ie on Wednesday 14th October,\u201d a post on Met \u00c9ireann\u2019s site reads today. <\/p>\n

However, Met \u00c9ireann previously published two yellow weather warnings for Wednesday.<\/p>\n

A yellow wind warning is in place for counties Donegal, Galway and Mayo from 6am to 6pm on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

A yellow rain warning is valid from 6pm on Wednesday to 6am on Thursday in counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 4 hours ago<\/p>\n

Strikes should be \u2018last resort\u2019 <\/p>\n

Industrial action should be the last resort, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke has said as he urged unions to enter talks with the Government. Vivienne Clarke reports.<\/p>\n

\u201cA strike should be the last resort. That\u2019s the way the industrial relations architecture has worked because we all know here this morning that this issue will be resolved. All industrial strikes, in my memory, have always been resolved,\u201d he told Newstalk Breakfast with Anton Savage.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut how they are resolved is by dialogue, by sitting around the negotiating table, trying to get strands of commonality and agreement and getting a sustainable agreement for, first of all, their members. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that has been the case, as I pointed out, that over the last pay agreement, we\u2019ve had pay increases of about 9.6 per cent cumulatively, which outpaced inflation of 6.6 per cent. So that\u2019s real wage growth for employees who are in the public service. And the Government wants to be a good employer.<\/p>\n

\" Minister for Enteprise Peter Burke. Photograph: Cillian Sherlock\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to offer better pay, better conditions, but we also have to get better services for the public,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been very clear that we want to improve paying conditions for all members of the public and Civil Service right throughout our country. We want better conditions, but we also need a sustainable agreement for the taxpayer. And that\u2019s Government\u2019s obligation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t negotiate an agreement that ultimately will leave our country exposed or that won\u2019t be sustainable. I think that\u2019s only responsible of any government to take that approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n

Taoiseach\u2019s feathers ruffled in D\u00e1il <\/p>\n

Miche\u00e1l Martin<\/a> had a tetchy exchange with a metaphor-chucking Mary Lou McDonald<\/a> in the D\u00e1il chamber on Tuesday. <\/p>\n

She accused him of \u201cplaying chicken\u201d with the public sector unions. Now, McDonald implied, the chicken games were coming home to roost.<\/p>\n

Whatever about the chickens, he remained unflappable throughout. Only his innocence seemed injured. More than once, he spoke of the \u201cenhanced social dialogue\u201d he had offered trade unions in vain.<\/p>\n

Frank McNally details the exchange in his D\u00e1il sketch here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n

\"FórsaF\u00f3rsa union leader Kevin Callinan Unions urge Taoiseach to intervene to prevent more strikes<\/p>\n

The Taoiseach should intervene to get a talks process started if further public sector strikes<\/a> and disruption are to be prevented, F\u00f3rsa union leader Kevin Callinan has suggested.<\/p>\n

As Emmet Malone and Pat Leahy report,<\/a> he was speaking after the union side rebuffed late efforts by Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers and the Government side to engage and prevent Wednesday\u2019s one-day strike<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Callinan was responding to a suggestion by Chambers that while the Government wanted talks to begin at the Workplace Relations Commission on Tuesday, he would consider other ways to achieve progress if that could not be done.<\/p>\n

Asked about what might break the deadlock, Callinan, who also chairs the public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said it would take \u201can intervention. And I think that intervention has to come from … the Taoiseach\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Government is likely to make a push to bring the unions into a talks process after the stoppage as it seeks to avoid further strikes scheduled for next week.<\/p>\n

According to sources familiar with the Government\u2019s position, renewed efforts to start negotiations in the coming days may include seeking an independent mediator or facilitator to bring the two sides together. Coalition sources stopped short of saying they would agree to the unions\u2019 demand to deal with pay first in the negotiations.<\/p>\n

It is likely that informal approaches will be made with a view to repairing relations that have become strained in recent days.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n

Government appeals fall on deaf ears<\/p>\n

The Taoiseach urged trade unions yesterday<\/a> to engage in further dialogue ahead of the strike.<\/p>\n

Miche\u00e1l Martin expressed concern around the disruption that could be caused and said the \u20ac1.2 billion the Government set aside in the recent budget for a pay deal provided a strong foundation for talks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did appeal (on Monday) for the unions to come in for talks, and I would say in the recent budget, the Government made a number of efforts, and took a number of initiatives, that were important for workers \u2013 significant tax cuts, continued expansion of public service numbers and specific initiatives on reducing the cost of childcare,\u201d the Taoiseach said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my view, there is a strong foundation there laid by the budget and other measures to facilitate productive negotiations on a new national pay agreement. We have negotiated previous pay agreements in good faith, there is no reason why anyone should doubt our bona fides in respect of negotiating a new package.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy real concern is the disruption that will be caused to many people, particularly patients who were expecting operations and procedures and indeed in terms of school days being lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers<\/a> had called on the unions to postpone the strike and instead enter talks at the Workplace Relations Commission.<\/a><\/p>\n

However, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions\u2019 Public Service Committee said there was \u201cno basis\u201d for the strike to be postponed.<\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n

What\u2019s closed? What services are affected? <\/p>\n

\u00d3rla Ryan has a comprehensive piece detailing the background to the strike action and the impact it will have on public life today. <\/p>\n

Here is what you need to know about the strike and its expected impact.<\/a><\/p>\n

Katie Mellett – 5 hours ago<\/p>\n

Now begins a winter of discontent? <\/p>\n

Good morning. Hundreds of thousands of public sector staff go on strike today on what could potentially be the first day of a long winter of discontent.<\/p>\n

About 300,000 public sector workers, including nurses, doctors, teachers and civil servants, will engage in the national strike following earlier work-to-rule action.<\/p>\n

Schools, colleges, universities, libraries, council offices and many parks are among the publicly run facilities that are closed because of the action, which involves some 300,000 workers. <\/p>\n

Health services are severely disrupted, with all elective procedures and thousands of appointments postponed. The HSE has warned of \u201csignificant and widespread\u201d disruption\u201d to its services.<\/p>\n

Members of F\u00f3rsa, Ireland\u2019s largest public sector union, as well as Siptu had voted in favour of industrial action including strike.<\/p>\n

The major teachers\u2019 unions as well as collective bodies for nurses, midwives and doctors also voted in favour of action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Main points Employees are seeking a new public sector deal, with trade unions arguing that pay terms must…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":654406,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,1418,13808,1843,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-654405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-health-service-executive-hse","tag-jack-chambers","tag-micheal-martin","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/654406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=654405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=654405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}